Local food consumption and a sense of rural: The role of “rural connections”

Using place attachment as a theoretical lens, this study seeks to explore how attitudes towards local food consumption are intertwined with constructions of rurality. Set in Northern Ireland, 25 qualitative interviews were conducted across rural and urban locations to recount the stories and recollections of individuals around local food and rurality. The findings reveal that a sense of rurality is constructed through various connections to rural areas and rural life, which derive from family connections, emotional ties, community support, and ethical and sustainable values. The findings also question the belief that urban consumers are generally less predisposed towards local food and the rural economy than their rural counterparts. Indeed, for urban-based individuals, consumption and engagement with local food acts as a tangible and symbolic medium through which they experience, interpret, and reaffirm their relationship with place. • A sense of place is constructed through various connections to rural areas. • Attitudes towards local food are intertwined with constructions of rurality. • Rural connections enable consumers to feel embedded with food and place. • For urban-based individuals, engagement with local food deepens a sense of place.